Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages held a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their ongoing protest against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered to march through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press. This demonstration followed a meeting between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, where initial discussions about wages were held, as stated by Bloomberg.
The NSEU workers initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not achieve the desired advancements in their workplace conditions. Although the union claims to represent over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this action represents the largest strike in the company’s history.
Despite Samsung’s projections indicating a staggering 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue, attributed to a surge in AI demand, and a tenfold rise in profits during the first quarter of 2024, workers have stated that they have not seen corresponding increases in their wages.
Many striking employees are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they produce some of the world’s most sophisticated computer chips, according to AFP. Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly toward unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workers.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies expert at the University of Oslo, commented that if Samsung workers achieve their goals, it could strengthen the labor movement across South Korea.